What'cha Reading?
by HeyDay
Summary: Revy finds Rock with a copy of Gangsta and notices something weird.


"You're back early," Dutch noted with a glance at the clock as Revy stomped back into the office of the Lagoon Trading Company. "Don't tell me The Yellow Flag ran out of a booze _before_ you could drink yourself under the table?"

"Hell no," the redhead said crossly. "And before you ask, no, I did not shoot up the place again. I remember what happened on Monday."

"Guess you can exercise restraint every once in a while," Dutch remarked wryly. "Imagine that."

"Yeah well." Revy opened the fridge and peered in. "There can only be so many times where I can take Bao's bitching and threats of 'welding my asshole shut' the next time I step out of line. Seriously, I'm surprised I haven't kneecapped the guy, even when I am buzzed." She took out a beer. "You want one, Dutch?"

"No I'm going to hit the sack now," Dutch said standing up and dumping his mug into the kitchen sink. "Which reminds me. We'll be heading out tomorrow. Some transporting for Mr. Chang. It's a milk run but I don't need you hungover if something goes wrong, Revy. You hear?"

"Yeah yeah, I hear you loud and clear boss. Don't worry, I'll brush my teeth and be a regular Girl Scout." Revy swung the fridge door close and snapped open the can, waving good night as Dutch went to retire. It was then that she noticed the third member of their crew was sprawled out on the sofa with a small paperback strewn over his face. "You're still reading that, Rock?" She demanded, striding over and snatching it up by the spine, causing him to wake with a sudden jerk of his head. "What's it about?"

Rock mopped a hand over his face, rubbing his eyes. "Just some crime fiction," he mumbled, stifling a yawn and throwing his feet off the sofa as Revy plopped herself down beside him.

Revy was frowning. "Looks more like a comic book to me." She tilted it this way and that, her frown now becoming a scowl. "What's up with the pages?" She demanded, turning the whole thing upside down.

"It's the way they make them in Japan. It's called a manga," Rock explained. "Back there they read from right to left."

Revy glanced at him, an eyebrow raised. _They. Not we._ "Any particular reason?" She asked. Rock shrugged, his face still drowsy. "Right," Revy muttered slowly, closing the book and glancing at the cover.

Her eyes twitched.

She carefully set her beer onto the table and flipped the manga to the first page. A beat passed. And another. Then she burst out laughing, throwing her head back and repeatedly slamming a fist against one of the sofa's arms.

Rock stared at her anxiously as she held her sides and leaned against him. She had tears in her eyes. Revy. Two Hands. One of the most dangerous woman in Roanapur. Laughing and crying and chuckling hysterically over a picture book with her face buried in Rock's shoulder. "You do not approve of my taste in literature?" He asked with a cautious smile, wondering if he should be happy or bolting for the door, or both. Maybe both, just to be on the safe side.

Raising her head, Revy just sniggered and passed the manga to him, pointing at the nasty-looking, katana-toting, dark-haired one of the two men on the first page. "Looks like you," she breathed out in between gasps. "If you were a squinty stoner and trained under Jumbo." She pointed at the other man. A dirty blonde smoking a cigarette. "Balalaika and Benny. Had child," she wheezed. "Goddammit, this is so fucking amazing. Of all the fucking odds. Oh wait. I bet I'm in here too somewhere. Let me see." She took it back from him before he could get a word in and started flipping through the pages.

"Revy," Rock began, watching as Revy's face slowly changed from childlike ecstasy to irked confusion to murderous anger as she reached the end of the book without finding anything remotely resembling her. "I don't think anyone in there would look like you."

Revy turned to him with a glare. Now this was something he could deal with. "What does that mean, Rock?" She growled, her eyes narrowing as she processed his words and her mind edged along a tangent that could end with the only other person in the room getting hurt.

"Well, what I mean is, just think about all the people we've met," Rock said quickly, gesturing at her. "Shenhua's a Dragon Lady. Mr. Chang is John Woo." He thought for a moment, holding up his hand to himself and counting. "Jumbo, I mean Ginji, wouldn't have looked out of a place in a samurai film, and Hansel and Gretel are the twins from the Shining. But the point I'm trying to make is that they're all walking, talking pop culture references. But you. You're don't fit anything like they do, and this," he said, pulling the manga out of her hand. "Doesn't have anything similar to you because you're impossible to copy. What with your tribal tattoos and Sword Cutlasses, you could even think of yourself as, well, unique. One of a kind."

Revy stared at him, her lips curled and her brow spotting a vein. Then she blinked once, and shrugged. And just like that, all her anger had completely dissipated. "You think so?" She asked.

Rock nodded. "Yeah. But then again, what do I know?"

"A lot more than you think," Revy replied wryly, reaching out and ruffling his hair. Then she was standing up and picking up her beer and snatching the manga from him, again. "I'm going down to the docks," she said, waving the paperback at him. "Check if Benny's still in the boat so I can show him this. See you when I get back."

"Right," Rock muttered, watching her as she left the office with a peculiarly cheery stride. He leaned his head back against the sofa and sighed in relief as he slowly dozed off again. "See you."

* * *

For those who still need a hint:

Worick Arcangelo - Balalaika and Benny's long-lost child

Nicholas Brown - Rock with stoner face and katana

* * *

 **Thanks for reading :D**


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